Back then, Critical Mass activists were not having much success in stopping the spread of expensive, complicated, and dangerous nuclear power plant development, insured by taxpayers under the Price Anderson Act. Then Nader's Raiders invited Edwin Koupal, founder of California based People's Lobby Inc. (PLI), whose Political Reform Initiative became California law by garnering 70% of California's electorate in 1974, to speak at one of their conferences. On the podium, in front of a throng of citizen activists, former bandleader Ed played his music.
He plucked the chords that belittled protesting and griping that went nowhere. He played the melodies activists wanted to hear about how government and people should dance together. They were moved by his lyrics that showed how citizens could make laws without concurrence from lobbyist-controlled legislatures. He pounded home PLI's heart felt words:
"This country runs on laws. If you want to change the country, write its laws."
From that point forward, Nader no longer avoided the person the media and some of his staff referred to as that "Crazy Koupal." The Critical Mass Conference changed from being a protesters' confab to People's Lobby's 18 states Western Bloc Initiative factory. Long before "reframing," meant anything on the political landscape, PLI reframed the 18 state anti-nuke campaigns to the Safe Energy Campaigns.
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